Thursday, November 29, 2007

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

This is just one of the pages I completed this weekend at the "I Hate Shopping" crop that I participated in. It's a fine example of the female friends I have in my life. The gals in my life are getting me through this. We are spread all over the US but we have each other nonetheless. It would take too long at this hour to find pictures of them all and I would be afraid to forget one but girls, know I'm so grateful for you right now.

Thanks for being there ladies. It's not easy right now but I know you are "here" for me.

I wasn't looking for to this weekend. Wednesday night I was in tears. In spite of myself I had a great four days though! I had fun watching the Packer's game and the pizza with homemade salsa and guac for the chips, plus the veggi tray and such were good. The brandy slush was excellent. I even played the Lego Star Wars game on the Wii and had fun. We went geo-caching in the snow flurries out in the woods too.

Friday I avoided the morning crush of shoppers to instead sleep in. I got up in time to get a bit of the house cleaned in preparation for putting up the Christmas tree before meeting the group for lunch at Macaroni Grill. I then was brave enough to shop just a little at Barnes & Noble, Bath & Body Works, and Ann Taylor Loft. That night I went grocery shopping for the turkey dinner for two I had planned.

Yesterday I treated myself to a whole "me" day, complete with a Peppermint Latte, 12 hours of scrapbooking, hot apple cider, and an early night to bed. I got all but the first and last pages of my Glacier Park scrapbook complete. This is the same book I started back in August when my girls' weekend got ruined by the flood. It turned out pretty darn cool. When I have tonight's turkey feast off the table maybe I'll lay it out and take a few pictures of my picture book.

Today I completed prep for Christsmas tree decorating and finished a touch more shopping at Kohl's. The house now smells like Christmas candles and turkey. Not bad at all. I'm thankful the weekend turned itself around and that I participated in spite of myself. Happy Holidays everyone!

Friday, November 23, 2007

I spent today doing a little cleaning in preparation for decorating for Christmas the rest of the weekend. I squeezed in a lunch with the boyfriend's family as well as a little solo shopping but not until later in the afternoon when it wasn't as busy. I went to the grocery store too and picked up the fixin's for a turkey dinner for two to be had this Sunday.

As I was wandering around the house I started to think about what my house says about me. I've been in it for two year's now and as was previously documented here, I put a lot of work into the appearance of the place in spite of it being structurally sound. What about the rest of the place though? You know, the little things that get "settled" after you have lived some where for a while?

What does my house tell others about me if they looked carefully?

Take a look just from my bed

I like natural things...my bed is a maple slatted sleighbed

Books are central...the bookends span the top of my dresser but the books have started to pile on top of the span in between them

I miss Montana..."Montana: The Last Best Place" hangs over three 14 x 17 pictures from "The Park".

Avalanche Gorge

Heaven's Peak

Lake McDonald from the back porch of the lodge

My cats have a home...check out the indentation in the pillow at the foot of my bed

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Today is not the day I am use to. Today will be full of new traditions. I'm not use to that and to do it all without my mom is harder than I had anticipated. But, you know what? I have to be thankful for what I do have. I'm sitting in my jammies with a cup of coffee watching big flat snow flakes fall out the window while I am cuddled on the couch with my kitten in my lap watching the Macy's Day parade. There are a lot of my favorite things in that sentence. The rest of the day will be new but I will be with "family" and for that I'm grateful as well.

To you and yours: Take a moment to be thankful for whatever little things you can today. Happy Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 19, 2007

The rat race is upon me. I heard the patter of it's feet about 10 days ago but now I'm right in the middle of the pack. The holidays and all I have to do BEFORE the holidays are upon me. I agreed to present a retreat at our church on Mary, the Mother of God and the Rosary for our annual Advent retreat. I agreed to this last spring but now I have around two weeks to get a final format ready.

I am hosting my annual Stampin' Up Christmas Card Extravaganza too. 40 cards for $40. I put the supply order in today and as soon as it arrives will be cutting out the parts for 240 cards (I pre-cut everything for my customers so the assembly doesn't take all day). I also possibly will be doing the same set of cards with multiple high school students to include in boxes for Hometown Gratitude gifts to the troops.

Hockey season in Minnesota has started and between now and Christmas week the team I cover for Sports Medicine has a Tuesday and Thursday night came every week but this week (just Tuesday this week). They at least take Thanksgiving off. Can't really get much done at those games other than watching and waiting for someone to get hurt.

Of course, I have to add into that the various work events, monthly Bunco, cleaning house, etc. We all do this to ourselves though and we always get through, right? My question is...why do we do it?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

He passed away 10 years ago and this picture's a few years older than that but I'm still proud of him. My grandpa was in the US Navy during World War II and fought off the USS Yorktown. Not a lot of his crew came home and even fewer are left today.

As navigator he led his pilot and himself on bombing runs over IwoJima.

He attempted to help out a commanding officer on R&R once but was told to "f--- off". The commanding officer was sunning himself on the beach while intoxicated. The commanding officer was court marshaled for damaging government property when he return to ship with his second degree sunburn and was sick. I think my grandpa probably chuckled.

His ship ran out of fresh water and the country bumpkin from the farm in Nebraska knew it was silly to drink salt water and was one of the few of the crew who did not get sick.

His squadron was returning from a mission and the lead pilot took the group the WRONG way back to the ship. My grandpa quietly convinced his pilot to take the lead and get the group of planes back to the ship. It worked.

Those last three stories he told me about, the bombing runs over IwoJima I didn't know about until we packed up his dresser two summer's ago at Grandma's house. We found his flight log book. Perfect handwriting, detailed without being wordy. 'Flight to "so and so" today. Bullet damage to right wing.' Yeah, scary!

So take a moment today and the rest of this week after Veteran's Day to remember those who fought for us and those who are fighting. Cherish the stories they told you and take a moment to consider what they didn't tell you. These young men and woman did things most of us can't even consider doing.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Simple things in life can bring a smile to your face if you pause to reflect on them.

I treated myself to an upgrade on the simple things this weekend. I admit, I'm addicted to the morning cup of joe. Gotta have it. I walked out on joe once in my life and I did okay; until I took a job in a coffee house and realized what a pain in the ass it is for a barista when a customer orders a decaf shot of anything! Back to the fully leaded stuff I went and haven't quit.

The gals at work and I went together for an office coffee pot and we take turns bringing in the goods. I treat them to Montana roasted beans once a year when I go to Montana. I enjoy the java house atmostphere. I loved the smile on my customer's faces as I handed them their morning shot of "go juice". I like sitting outside on a crisp fall day with a warm cup of joe in my hands. Just the smell of a freshly opened bag of beans makes my eyes perk up and a soft sigh come out.

The "Brew Station" has arrived at my house. This wonderful machine will have my coffee ready for me before my feet hit the cold hardwood floors in the morning. The machine keeps my coffee warm inside the machine without it sitting in a carafe getting bitter on the burner. I simply press my cup to the release button and I can pour a six ounce cup or a "4 cup" mug. It's a gift from above, just for me from me. It's perfection...

About Me

I'm an adopted Montana native currently working as a physician assistant for the Department of Defense in Alaska. It's not Montana but it is better than SE Minnesota. My cats Reggie, Romeo, and Montana as well as Ruby, my chocolate lab, keep me entertained. I'm on a whole new adventure!